We’ve said it time and again. The only real complaint about cruising from Galveston is that getting to the cruise port can be a hassle if you are flying in for your cruise. Unlike cities like Miami or Tampa, the cruise port is a considerable distance from the closest airport.

Meanwhile, Houston is served by two major airports: Houston Hobby (HOU) and Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH). That makes it even more confusing for cruisers who aren’t familiar with the area or the airports to decide which they should fly into.

To help out those passengers trying to decide which airport is better for their trip, we have all the details about both as it relates to cruising from Galveston

Distance from the Port

Unfortunately, both Houston Hobby and Intercontinental are located far from the port. Houston Hobby is considerably closer, sitting on the southeast side of Houston, compared to Intercontinental’s location due north of the city.

Houston Hobby
41 miles from Port of Galveston
45 minute ride without traffic

Houston Intercontinental
70 miles from Port of Galveston
75 minute ride without traffic

One thing to keep in mind is that Houston is notorious for its traffic, even at odd hours. That’s why we suggest allowing up to double the “non-traffic” time if you plan to travel directly to your cruise.

Airline Service

There is no doubt that Houston Hobby’s location makes it much more convenient for passengers headed to Galveston. Unfortunately, Hobby is considerably smaller in terms of airlines servicing the airport when compared to Intercontinental.

Houston Hobby is primarily a Southwest destination. The airline dominates service from the airport. However, there are flights from Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines.

Houston Intercontinental is the city’s largest airport, and also offers the most flight service. Here you’ll find nearly every airline available, with the notable exception of Southwest. If you are flying from an international destination, you will have no choice but to fly into this airport. In addition, IAH is a United hub, which serves airports around the country and the world.

Transportation

Both airports will offer similar service for transportation, including taxis, cruise line shuttles, car rentals, and independent shuttles to the Port of Galveston.

The major difference is getting from Intercontinental to the cruise ships takes considerably more time and money than compared to Houston Hobby. For example, the official Carnival shuttle between IAH and the cruise port runs $94 per person roundtrip, compared to $74 from HOU. Other services, including taxis will see an even larger price jump between the two airports.

Final Recommendation

While we live in the area, if we had to fly in for a cruise, then we’d pick Houston Hobby 10 times out of 10. The shorter distance between Hobby and the cruise port makes HOU much more convenient to get to the cruise ship. Also, we like that Hobby is a much smaller airport in general, making it easy to get in and out.

That said, not everyone can fly into Hobby or they might find a cheaper flight into Intercontinental. For us, we would have to save more than $100 per person on a roundtrip flight to make the extra distance and cost of getting to the port worth our while.

For more details on getting from Houston airports to Galveston, click here.

In November, the Liberty of the Seas makes its arrival in Galveston. The Liberty marks an upgrade in cruising from the island. With room for 3,600 passengers and more than 1,100 feet long, it is the largest cruise ship ever to sail from Galveston.

That upgrade is going to get even better…

Royal Caribbean has announced that the Liberty of the Seas will undergo a massive month-long drydock overhaul in early 2016.

The most noticeable upgrade is the addition of three new waterslides — the first ever for a Royal Caribbean ship. The slides as a whole are called the “Perfect Storm” and include a new design called “Tidal Wave.” The Tidal Wave is a boomerang-style slide. According to the cruise line, “the new hair-raising slide features a steep drop that propels riders up a near vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness and into free fall.” In addition, the new waterslides will have the “Cyclone” and the “Typhoon” that will be near the already existing Flowrider surf simulator.

The Liberty of the Seas will also see upgrades inside the ship. The makeover will expand the restaurant options. Passengers will be able to enjoy Sabor, which features modern Mexican food, Giovanni’s Table, which has family-style Italian food, and R Bar, a cocktail bar with a 1960s theme.

Passenger cabins will see some new things as well. The Liberty will have 26 new Panoramic Ocean View staterooms with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and more than 50 new staterooms around the ship.

While the ship undergoes the drydock makeover, it will mean no Royal Caribbean cruises from Galveston for about a month. The ship will set out on its last cruise on January 3 and will be gone until returning February 7.

Good news Disney cruise fans. The cruise line just announced several trips departing Galveston during early 2017.

These cruises were somewhat expected since it was already known that the Disney Wonder was sailing from the port in December 2016. However, the announcement makes it official that Disney will finish the 2016-2017 winter season in Galveston.

In total, Disney announced three cruises will sail from Galveston in January 2017. On January 6 and 13, the Wonder will set sail on seven-night trips to the eastern Caribbean. The cruises have stops in Key West, Castaway Cay, and Nassau.

After that, the cruise line sets out for a six-night trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 20, stopping in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth, Jamaica in between. This will mark the last cruise of the season for Disney from Galveston.

In the 2014-2015 winter season, Disney opted not to sail from Galveston. However, the port is booming in popularity and the cruise line decided to return both this year and next. This could mark the beginning of annual cruises for the line.

One headwind for Disney in Galveston seems to be cost. The cruise line is by far the most expensive in Galveston or Houston. Meanwhile, the market is dominated by low-cost Carnival, which offers hundreds of trips each year for as little as $300 per person.

As Galveston cruising continues to grow, however, there could be room for Disney to sail from the port year-round, especially if and when the third cruise terminal is completed.

Cruising in Galveston is getting bigger and better.

On November 13, Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas arrives in port, replacing the Navigator of the Seas. The ship marks a new standard in Galveston cruising. As the first Freedom-class ship Royal Caribbean ship to sail from the island, it’s a signal that Galveston is no longer a small-town port.

We’ve looked into the new ship and have all the details of what you can expect when sailing.

The Ship

The Liberty of the Seas is the largest ship ever to sail from Galveston. At 1,112 feet, it is approximately 90 feet longer than the Navigator and carries over 3,600 passengers.

On board you’ll find no shortage of things to do. In addition to the now standard rock-climbing walls and mini-golf course, Liberty has a FlowRider surf simulator, ice-skating rink, full-sized basketball court and even a boxing ring. And don’t forget the staggering 10 hot tubs and pools on board.

As for dining options, you’ll have your standard dining room and Windjammer Cafe (buffet). But you also have Sorrento’s Pizza, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, and The Cupcake Cupboard. Of course, premium restaurants like Chops Grille, Portofino and Johnny Rockets are also available.

Some other cool features include the outdoor poolside movie screen, a new 3D movie theater, and a 10,000 square foot casino for adults.

For more on what you can expect on board, check out this video tour:

The Cruises

Liberty of the Seas will sail primarily 7-day cruises to the Western Caribbean year-round, much like the Navigator of the Seas does currently. Trips on the Liberty will visit ports like Roatan, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth, Jamaica. Most trips sail Sunday to Sunday. In addition, there are a couple of 8 and 9-day itineraries available for those who want longer cruises.

Right now there are very reasonable fares available aboard the ship. Trips departing between Thanksgiving and Christmas are as low as $429 per person. In general we expect prices to be in line with past Royal Caribbean cruises.

What it means for Galveston Cruising

Getting the Liberty of the Seas to homeport year-round in Galveston is a big deal. This is the largest cruise ship to sail from Galveston and a concrete symbol of how much the port continues to grow as a cruise destination.

With the Bayport Terminal in Houston ending cruises for the foreseeable future, the expansion of the second cruise terminal, and the talk of building a third cruise terminal, it’s obvious that Galveston has enormous momentum in cruising. That means the potential for more cruise lines, sailings, and lower prices in the future.

Photo: Roger W.

In 2016, Galveston will have more than 240 cruises sailing from her port. That’s a record amount of departures, which should get anyone who sails from the island excited.

While Galveston cruising is seeing a record amount of passengers (it’s already the fourth-largest departure point in the United States), it’s also seeing a record number of berths given the number of cruises and bigger ships.

Of course, that means the cruise lines will offer some attractive prices to fill up those rooms. Combine that with sailing during the the cheap seasons for cruises and you can find some unbelievable deals.

With that in mind, we went in search to find the cheapest Galveston cruises available for all of 2016.

Three cruise lines sail from the port — Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Disney — over the course of the year. Of those, Carnival offers the cheapest rates, bar none. That’s not to say that every Carnival cruise is cheaper than competitors, but when it comes to the absolute lowest rates, Carnival wins.

In fact, of the 10 cheapest cruises we found, all of them are on Carnival. We’ve put the results below. This list is sorted by the price per day to compare apples to apples. Shorter cruises will generally be cheaper overall than longer ones.

The rates below represent the price per person for an interior room (This is the no-frills “get your butt on the ship” rate.) Keep in mind these rates can and will change. You can check the latest rates at Carnival.com.

We know that not everyone is interested in the price per day, however. They want to see the overall cheapest cruises.

Again, Carnival is the clear winner in this category. In particular, their cheap 4 and 5-day trips that sail to Mexico are the absolute cheapest cruises available. For as little as $299 per person you can get on the ship.

Find a better deal for cruising from Galveston in 2016? Let us know in the comments below.